EAST ST. LOUIS — Most of the pretrial challenges filed by Syngenta AG in a class-action suit against it for the production and marketing of a strain of genetically modified corn were dismissed, though some were accepted by a judge in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

EAST ST. LOUIS — A federal judge on May 9 issued a final pretrial order for a case challenging the safety of the drug Depakote, an antiepileptic drug used to treat bipolar disorder and seizures, ordering both sides to submit jury instructions for an expected trial.

BENTON — A motion for the final approval of a class-action suit filed against Sterling Management Systems for violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act has been denied by an Illinois federal court judge.